Christmas Lights Supplies

Christmas light supplies, organized by where they mount

Christmas Lights Supplies sells the components of a C9 and mini light install: socket wire, LED C9 bulbs on E17 intermediate bases, LED mini light strands, plugs, cord, photocell timers and a full range of clips and mounts. The wire and bulbs are the same on every house. What changes from one building to the next is the surface, and the surface decides the clip.

The mounts

• All-in-one clips hold a C9 or C7 socket and attach to either a shingle edge or a gutter lip.
• Shingle tabs slide under the shingle for a low-profile mount along the roof edge.
• C9 O-clips ring the socket and hold it upright along a gutter.
• Ridge clips straddle the ridge cap to run a line along a peak.
• Tile and extended fascia clips reach the edge of barrel and flat tile roofs and deep fascia boards.
• Magnet clips hold to steel roofs, awnings, canopies and railings with no fastener.
• 8 in. light stakes set C9 or C7 bulbs along walkways and beds.

The wire and bulbs

C9 socket wire comes on 1,000 ft. spools at 12 in., 15 in. or 24 in. spacing, with magnetic socket spools and replacement sockets for repairs. LED C9 bulbs come in 25-packs and 500-bulb cases. LED mini strands carry 50 lights at 4 in. or 6 in. spacing for trees, shrubs and railings.

Power

Slide-on male and female plugs close each run. SPT-2 zip cord and male zip plugs make custom leads, and photocell timers switch each circuit on at dusk.

Choosing the mount: a quick reference

Shingle edge: all-in-one clip or shingle tab. Gutter lip: O-clip or all-in-one clip. Tile roof or deep fascia: tile and extended fascia clip. Steel roof, awning or railing: magnet clip. Peak or ridge: ridge clip. Walkway or bed: 8 in. light stake. Plan one mount per socket plus about 5% spare on each surface, and count each surface's footage separately so the order has the right number of each.

Bulbs and spacing

LED C9 bulbs come in sun warm white, warm white, pure white, cool white, multi-color and single colors, in faceted and smooth lenses. 12 in. spacing gives one bulb per foot for a solid line; 15 in. spacing uses about 20% fewer bulbs and clips over the same footage. The mount doesn't change with spacing, only the count does.

Repairs and spares

Replacement C9 sockets come in 10-packs for swapping a damaged socket on an otherwise good run. Male and female plugs in 50-packs re-terminate a run that gets cut short or extended. A spare pack of each clip type you use covers breakage on the ladder.

Ordering

Prices are listed on each product page. Order online with a card, with no account and Shipping is free on all orders, every order ships the same day, and there are no added fees. Unused product in its original packaging can be returned within 30 days. Orders ship within the United States.

Supplies list by surface type

Socket wire, bulbs and plugs are the same on every job. The clip is the part that changes, and it's set by the surface the lights mount to. Order one clip type for a house with three surfaces and the install stalls on the ladder. Here's the supplies list for each surface, per 100 ft. of edge at 12 in. spacing (100 sockets). At 15 in. spacing, multiply bulbs and clips by 0.8.

Every surface: the base list

• 100 ft. of C9 socket wire, cut from a 1,000 ft. spool or part of a kit
• 100 LED C9 bulbs on E17 bases ($0.638 each in a 500-case)
• One male plug per run at the power end, one female plug per run at the far end (male plugs $0.699 each by the case)
• Zip cord and a male zip plug if the run starts away from the outlet
• A photocell timer for the circuit

Then add the mount for the surface.

Asphalt shingle

Shingle eaves and rakes take all-in-one clips ($0.180 each in a 100-pack, $0.183 in a 3,000-case) or shingle tabs ($0.199 each in a 100-pack, $0.219 in a 1,000-case). Tabs slide under the bottom course for a low profile; all-in-one clips attach to the shingle edge and also fit a gutter, so they cover a house with both.

• Per 100 ft.: 105 clips or tabs. About $18.89 per 100 ft. at 12 in. spacing, at the lower of the pack or case unit price, with 5% spare.

Gutter

Along a gutter lip, use C9 O-clips ($0.237 each in a 100-pack, $0.228 in a 1,000-case) or all-in-one clips. O-clips hold the socket upright so the bulbs line up straight along the gutter.

• Per 100 ft.: 105 O-clips. About $23.94 per 100 ft. at 12 in. spacing, at the lower of the pack or case unit price, with 5% spare.

Tile

Barrel and flat tile roofs take tile and extended fascia clips, which reach the edge of the tile course without fastening into the tile. The same clip suits deep fascia boards on other roof types. Tile clips come in 50-packs, so 100 ft. of tile edge takes three packs with spares.

• Per 100 ft.: about 105 tile clips (three 50-packs).

Metal

Standing-seam and corrugated steel roofs, awnings, canopies and steel railings take magnet clips ($0.800 each in a 100-pack, $0.772 in a 2,000-case). No screws or adhesive touch the roof. Confirm the surface is steel first; magnets won't hold to aluminum or copper, and those edges take a gutter or fascia clip instead.

• Per 100 ft.: 105 magnet clips. About $81.11 per 100 ft. at 12 in. spacing, at the lower of the pack or case unit price, with 5% spare.

Peaks and ridges

Any roof with a lit peak needs ridge clips for the ridge line, in addition to the clips on the eaves. Count ridge footage separately on the takeoff.

Walkways and beds

Ground runs use 8 in. light stakes ($0.860 each in a 25-pack, $0.800 in a 250-case), one per socket, to hold C9 bulbs at an even height along a path.

Mixed-surface houses

Most houses have more than one surface: a shingle main roof with gutters, a metal porch roof, a lit peak. Measure each surface separately and order the clip for each. A run can change clip type along its length as long as the spacing stays the same, so one run can go from gutter O-clips to ridge clips at the peak without a break.

Spares to keep on hand

• About 5% extra clips per surface for corners and breakage
• A 25-pack of bulbs in each color temperature you install
• Replacement sockets for a crushed or broken socket on an otherwise good run
• A few male and female plugs for re-terminating a run that gets cut short